Drawing & Painting Buddhas and Mandalas in the Tibetan tradition

Skull Mask

Skull Mask

Three kinds of Skull Masks

In the Himalayan Buddhist Cham dances 3 different levels of skull masks & skeleton costumes can be found:

Ging

The lowest level of skeleton dancers are the Ging.
Ging are boy monks who dance in a basic costume and skull mask. They play a semi-comical character and have no skull diadem and no ear decorations, no adornments of any kind. This can be considered the entry-level of skeleton dancers.

Gangre

The mid-level skeleton dancers are he Gangre.
Gangre skull mask dancers wear a single skull or Vajra on top of their heads, and colorful ear decorations besides their ears. They also wear a colorful costume. The Gangre dancers usually dance as a pair or a group of four and they are seen as helpers. Carmen’s drawing above is that of a Gangre mask.

Citipati

The highest level of skeleton dancers are the Citipati skeletons, who always dance in pair of male & female. They wear a diademe with 5 small skulls and their clothes are mainly red and white in color.